The Slave
by Peanut61654
Summary: AU. Gray is the prince of a small desert city called Fairy Tail. The young prince's life isn't easy and it gets even more complicated when his father captures Dragon Tribe's leader and turns him into Gray's slave! (Story better then summery!) Gratsu
1. Complicated Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this story's inspiration is from Running Lynx! Thank you do much RL :D Anyway hope you guys enjoy it and please review and favorite! Also I went back and explained some thing simpler so I hope that helps and I corrected spelling/mixed up sentences.**

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XXX

Gray Fullbuster's life was not normal. Instead of having to be worried about school and being popular like any other teen in the world, he had to worry about being ready to rule over a whole city.

"Prince Gray!" A scarlet haired woman shouted loudly.

The raven prince winced and rolled over in his very large and feather-like bed.

"Five more minutes..." Gray groaned.

The woman shook her head and pushed the raven out of bed.

"Fine fine I'm up, Erza!" He grumbled as he sat up, rubbing the bump that was forming on the back of his head.

He looked at one of his personal assigned knights. She was a force to be reckoned with but she also had a crazy caring side.

"You need to get ready for your piano lesson." The scarlet haired knight put simply.

Gray sighed. He didn't understand the importance of playing the piano but he was forced to learn anyway. The prince dismissed Erza with the flick of his wrist. The knight was not very happy about it but she walked out to the hall anyway. Gray went to his closet and pulled out a white shirt and some jeans. He smirked at the thought of everyone's reaction to him wearing them. They all got worked up over everything he did that wasn't 'prince like' and it made the raven laugh. Of course being the prince of Fairy Tail had its perks but there was so many cons to follow. Gray stepped out of his room and into the long, winding hall way. A bunch of paintings hung on the pretty, red walls and the floor was warm wood paneling. The raven passed the occasional door but had to go to the room at the end of the hall. Gray finally got to the end and the door was already wide open, beautiful music filled his ears. A blonde haired teen sat gracefully in front of a grand piano. Her fingers moved smoothly from key to key and she seemed to be deep in the song. Gray didn't want to disturb his teacher but the blonde's eyes slowly opened and she stopped mid song.

"Gray!" She cried.

"Hello, Princess Lucy..." Gray muttered with fake cheeriness.

Lucy was his piano teacher, a princess of a neighboring city, and his fiancé. Of course Gray's father, King Alastair, forced Lucy and Gray to get engaged so that way the royal family would live on and the two cites would join together after many years of fighting. Lucy was a wonderful girl and all but Gray hated that he had no choice but to marry her. Lucy gave Gray a big hug and a sweet peck on the cheek.

"Let's start playing shall we?" The blonde giggled as she grabbed Gray's wrist and pulled him to the piano.

Gray's piano playing was pretty bad. He just couldn't memorize all the keys and notes. All of it frustrated the prince. Gray noticed Erza standing near the door with slight amusement in her eyes. Gray scoffed and focused on the movement of his fingers on the white keys. Lucy was cheering him on and telling him he was doing just fine. Finally about an hour passed and the painful lesson was over. Gray sighed as he got up from the bench.

"Lets go to the garden." Lucy suggested.

Gray snorted at the thought. The garden wasn't a very good garden. Due to the dryness of the soil and the sand around Fairy Tail, it was hard for planets to grow. So the royal garden only consisted of a few brittle shrubs and some molting trees. Gray only nodded, not wanting to upset the princess. The pair walked out to the garden, accompanied by Erza and sat on one of the benches. It was boiling hot and the air was sticky so naturally Gray's shirt disappeared. Lucy looked at Gray almost sadly. The blonde knew that the raven didn't want to be with her but they were both forced to be. It hurt because she had fallen in love with the prince along the way but she knew her love may never be returned. Prince Gray gazed at some ants that crawled around near their feet not really paying attention the brooding blonde. He watched as the little black ants got into a little line and followed their leader back to the ant hole that was only a few inches away. The ants reminded the raven of the citizens of Fairy Tail. How they all blindly followed his father and one day all the presser would transfer to his shoulders. The teen shivered at the thought. He didn't want all the responsiblity but he had no choice in the matter. Every important decision in his life was already pre-made and the raven hated it. Lucy watched Gray as his face scrunched up with frustration. She wondered what was on the young prince's mind.

"Madam? Sir? Can I get you two anything?" A frail voice asked.

Gray looked over to see one of his father's slaves. She was a little younger than he was with long blue hair and dark brown eyes. The raven recalled her name was Wendy. She was one of the slaves captured from the Dragon Tribe. The Dragon tribe was a little tribe near Fairy Tail. They were the ones who owned the land before the founder of Fairy Tail came and built the city. The founder was very cruel to the Dragon Tribe after they tried to fight and get their land back. He had exiled them to a small cluster of sand duns a few miles away for Fairy Tail. Each person living in the Dragon Tribe had a dragon slayer power. Wendy was the only dragon slayer that Gray's father could keep at the castle because the others were far more than their masters could handle. If the King had kept them any longer then the whole castle would have been destroyed. The bluenette was also a sky dragon slayer. The royal bloodline had special blood that could cancel out a certain type of magic. His father could only cancel out wind/sky magic. After being tested from the royal doctors when he was a kid, Gray learned that his blood could cancel out any fire magic. Gray never got to use it, not even during practice.

"N-no thanks." Gray muttered and then looked at Lucy.

"I'll take some tea please." The blonde smiled.

Wendy nodded slightly as she walked back inside.

Gray watched as the door closed softly and shut his eyes for a moment.

XXX

The battle was intense. Natsu Dragneel was panting, sweat pouring down his neck and forehead, his fists ablaze. The Fairy Tail knights were fiercer then he thought. The only thing running through the pinkette's head was that he had to protect the tribe for he was the leader. The teen had watched bodies hit the sandy ground from both sides. Now He was the only one standing upright. A swarm of knights were crowding in front of him, swords and magic ready to attack. Suddenly the crowed of knights began to part and Natsu had a good feeling about who was walking toward him.

"What the hell do you want?" The pink haired leader snarled as a man with a dark hood approached him.

"Nice to see you too." The man simply chuckled.

Natsu knew the man very well from all the stories about war that his father used to tell him . The hooded man was none other than the King of Fairy Tail. Natsu's fists were poised to strike.

"You are coming with me." King Alastair threatened cockily.

"Who said I would ever do that!?" Natsu shouted, hoping that Fairy Tail would just leave his tribe alone.

"I did. I mean I could just tell all my men to kill your precious people and then what would you do?" The raven haired man smirked, raising his head to get the knights in fighting position.

Natsu felt his heart race. He didn't want them hurt, for they were the only people he ever knew. The pinkette slowly shook his head and lowered his fists.

"I'll go but you have to leave them alone." The teen hissed, adrenaline still pumping.

"Deal." The king said slyly.

In chains, the leader left the wounded Dragon tribe behind.

XXX

Gray waved as Lucy got into a car to go home. The blonde promised that she would come back the next day. The raven slumped in a chair that was in the open planned parlor. Wendy had offered to get him something to eat and he politely declined. The prince, to everyone's horror, liked to cook his own food. He was about to get out of the comfortable chair and go to the kitchen when the one of the doors opened. Erza crossed her harms with a humph.

"Your father, King Alastair, would like to see you in the throne room." She stated and turned to leave.

Gray raised an eye brow. The prince was rarely allowed to see his father, let alone his father wanting to see him. The king only called his son when it was something very important. The raven got up and followed Erza to the throne room. His imagination went wild as he guessed what his father could possible want to see him for. Every one of the scenarios in his head played out pretty badly. Each thing his father had said in his mind was not in the prince's favor. The pair entered the throne room quietly. There was an air of success flowing through the knights in the room. Gray's dad grinned at him.

"I have a gift for you." King Alastair chuckled, waving his hand to two guards who ran into a small room that branched off the throne room.

Gray gulped. Just what did his father get him? The raven watched in slight disgust as the guards lugged in a pink haired teen about a little younger than he was in shackles. His head was held up high even with the circumstances.

"This is your new slave." Gray's father announced.

XXX

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**oo what will happen next?! hehe stay tuned for the next chap****ter :D I really like writing this story and I hope you guys enjoyed it! Again please favorite and review! **


	2. The Soup Chapter 2

**Second chapter is here! *Celebrates* I suddenly had a burst of inspiration this evening for no reason...well I did listen to some good music so that helps. Please favorite and review...Inspiration for this story from Running Lynx! xD**

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XXX

Gray grimaced. He was in the kitchen with his father. That wasn't the worst of it though. King Alastair held a sharp knife in his hand.

"Alright all you have to do is cut your finger and let only a drop of blood fall in this soup. Do not put in more than one drop you hear me?" The raven man instructed as he thrust the knife toward Gray.

"W-why not?" The prince quivered, hating to have his father's eyes on him.

His father's deep blue eyes seemed to be analysing everything he did.

"It would be poisonous. Didn't you learn anything in practice?" The king scoffed.

Hearing about how to use cancelling magic was one thing but using is was a whole different thing. Gray took the knife silently. He had no choice but to follow through with making the pink haired leader his slave now. With one little movement he sliced the pad of his finger. It stung like getting a deep paper cut. The raven squeezed his finger till a small tear drop of blood fell toward the bowl of soup below. Gray felt his heart sink to his stomach as one of the maids took the bowl to the room next door. In that room was Natsu who had no idea the sweet soup would easily be his undoing. King Alastair grinned at Gray with pride and amusement in his eyes.

"Why did you get me a slave anyway?" Gray piped up.

"I never do get you gifts, do I? I thought since I was near the Tribe, I'd go on a little shopping spree." His father answered, grin still in place. "And Gray, we need to go to the city today."

The prince frowned. His father always gave him vague answers to every question, from how a war went to how his mother died. Nothing that came out of the king's mouth made any damn sense to the raven. It was so frustrating. Going to the city meant that Gray would have to act like a real prince. They would be around adoring citizens who came to tell them news or ask questions or to just see them. It was ever so often they went out to the little city a few meters from the royal castle. Gray knew that Erza would come along for some protection. They usually didn't need to bring extra guards due to the area being pretty peaceful. With that King Alastair walked out of the kitchen beckoning his son to follow.

XXX

Natsu was sitting in a lonely but fancy room. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, covered in dust. A large wooden table stood in the middle of the room with multiple broken chairs surrounding it. The pinkette was huddled in a corner, thinking of how he even got into this mess in the first place. The teen's heart burned for home. He missed his friends and hoped for their safety. While sitting in the dusty, airless room the young leader knew that he would never get to see any of his treasured people again. He was just a mere slave for one of the highest ranking people living in Fairy Tail. Natsu was now at the beck and call of some annoying prince. The pinkette stuffed his face in his hands, and decided it was better not to think. Now he was left with the eerie quiet of the barley used room.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. A maid with long bleach blonde hair and a petite frame waltzed through the door with a steaming bowl in her hands. Many scents filled Natsu's highly sensitive nose. A mixture of warm chicken broth, chunks of thoroughly spiced chicken and...blood? The pinkette could've sworn that he smelled the coppery and familiar scent of blood coming from the bowl. The maid gave him the bowl with a smile and left the room without even a word. Natsu looked at the yellowish, brownish soup with suspicion then down at his torn up black vest, bloody white scarf, and dirty baggy black pants. Maybe the smell was coming from himself and not the delicious looking soup. The captured tribe leader's stomach growled, demanding the soup. Without further hesitation he scarfed down the contents of the bowl. Natsu set the little ceramic bowl next to him on the soft carpeted floor and wiped off the remains of the broth off his lips. The pink haired teen crossed his arms and sighed. His eyes were so very heavy. He felt weak and lazy so he just closed his eyes for a moment's rest.

XXX

_A young Natsu sat on his dad's lap. His dad gave a warm chuckle. _

_"Natsu you should be in bed." Igneel scolded. _

_"Yeah but daddy I want a story!" The pink haired child whined. _

_The pair was in a little hut that had been there ever since Natsu could remember. All of his friends lived in different huts that surround his father's in one large circle. The pinkette hadn't been able to sleep due to the cheering from a city that was settled only a few miles away from the tribe. _

_"Alright what story shall I tell you this time?" The red-headed leader questioned. _

_"Oh! What about a story about that war!" _

_All of the warmth in Igneel's eyes faded and was replaced with a sort of sadness. _

_"W-what war?" The man stuttered, not sure how his young son found out._

_"One of the older kids were telling me! They said that there was a war between our tribe and that city!" Natsu replied, still cheery. _

_Igneel shook his head and made a metal note to strangle a certain group of kids. Natsu looked up at his father with anticipation which made the man sigh. _

_"Alright, get closer and I'll tell you."_

_The pink haired child snuggled against his dad's chest with a smile. _

_"It was when I was about eighteen..."_

_"So..A long, long time ago?"_

_"Yeah sure...HEY!-"_

_Natsu laughed at his father's steaming face and waited for him to continue. _

_"Our tribe had been kicked off our rightful land and soon Fairy Tail was built."_

_"Fairies have tails?" _

_Igneel only smirked at his son's remark and composed himself, thinking about a nice way to explain a violent war to his six-year-old son. _

_"I'm not really sure, Natsu. Anyway, our tribe leader at the time decided that we needed to get our land back from Fairy Tail's founder and so we waged war against them. I was right in the thick of it and, as funny as it sounds, I met your mother during the war too." The older man said, sighing at the thought of his deceased lover. _

_"Then what happened? Did we win?" The pinkette yawned. _

_"It was a long battle and we lost many people. We never did reclaim our land."_

_"Oh...What happened to mommy?"_

_Igneel only gulped at the thought of the raid that happened years after the war. It was the night of Natsu's birth when Fairy Tail soldiers stormed in, killing everyone for the fun of it. _

_"Look it is time for you to go to bed okay?" Was the red-haired man's reply. _

_"Aye." Natsu nodded and soon was snoring. _

XXX

Gray and the king walked through a local shopping area, only a few miles away from the castle. Citizens waved and greeted them both enthusiastically. They all asked King Alastair questions and he responded accordingly. Erza stood protectively in front of them, making sure no one got close. People even bowed down to the king with praise. Gray could only watch with a fake smile plastered to his face.

'People are defiantly just sheep..always dependent on others,' The raven thought with sigh, knowing he was only one more member of the flock.

Gray's father did a brilliant acting job, the routine he always used in front of his people. The charming and kind-hearted ruler, oh what a saint he was. The prince decided to look closely at the area instead of at his dad. The shopping area was very nice and fancy. The businesses towered over head the crowd of people below. People who lived closet to the castle were pretty rich. A little ways away was the rest of the population with shabby shacks to live in and only a few jewels to their names. King Alastair claimed that this system was very fair. If you weren't stinking rich then you had to worry about surviving each day. The rich citizens loved the royal family so they were always peaceful when the prince and king came to visit. One the other hand, the rest of the city hated Gray's family line so they were very mean to the royals.

'Hell, when I become king, things will be a lot different." The raven thought as he turned his attention back to the crowd.

A little to the left of the crowd, stood a girl about his age. She had large curls of blue hair on her shoulders and a crazy smile on her face.

"Prince Gray~" She sing-songed and reached out for the prince.

Before the girl could even get close to touching Gray, Erza was standing right in front of him.

"Don't. you. dare." The scarlet haired knight hissed, sword drawn.

An older woman, obviously the girl's mother ran up to the group.

"Oh please! Spare Juvia!" The woman cried as she clung on to her shivering daughter's arm.

This whole scene caught everyone's attention. People gaped, whispering about how bad the mother must have felt. Gray caught his father's eyes, glaring at him like daggers.. The raven gulped.

'This isn't my fault!' His mind shouted as his dad walked over to the group.

"Erza..." The king said in a casual voice.

The knight shielded her sword, giving the king an apologetic look.

"Sorry my king." She murmured with a low bow.

The raven haired man made a shooing motion and the teen only nodded. With that Gray and Erza left the shopping area, leaveing Gray's father behind to smooth things over.

XXX

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**Hope you enjoyed :) I know it is kinda short but I thought this was a good place to stop! Stay tuned for the next chapter! Again I enjoy your favoirtes and reviews. Now on to the reviews:**

**Crystalangel554: Hmm I have always imagined Gray's father to be evil for some reason xD I hope there isn't a tomato with my name on it! D: xD**

**x0xalexis8: Glad you are interested :)**

**Guest: Thank you!**

**Demonprincess13: Wish granted xD**

**Dorothy Lee Bones: Good question...well in my mind and in this story Natsu is a bit younger than Gray is BUT in the anime I am not too sure on who is older. I looked it up and it says Gray is supposed to be eighteen and I couldn't find Natsu's age...**

**Miksuki-Takahashi: Thanks :)**

**Running Lynx: Thanks for the long review xD :D**


	3. Escape Chapter 3

**Guh I got a bit of writers block -_- writer worse nightmare D: anyway xD Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! inspiration for this story is from Running Lynx c: **

XXX

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Natsu's eyes flew open. He looked around the room.

"Damn it wasn't a dream!" He exclaimed, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

The room was so still it was driving the wild pinkette crazy. He must have been in the stuffy room for hours so he decided to get up and take a look at his new home.

'Like hell I am staying here.' He thought with a grin of confidence.

With that thought Natsu got up and walked over to the door which was unlocked. The pink haired slave leaned out the door, looking up and down the hallway which was just was quiet as the barley used room. There was a large set of double doors at the end of the hall and at the other end was the entrance to the parlor. The former tribe leader stepped out of the room and began to walk toward the double doors, hoping it would lead outside. He pushed open the doors with ease and shook his head with disappointment. The double doors lead to an oversized room with a pure white large bed in the middle. There was a lone side table with a picture of a raven haired woman on it and a notebook. Natsu stepped inside cautiously, hoping to find someone inside who would help him get out of the castle.

'Better not be that stupid Prince.' The pinkette thought with annoyance.

Just the thought of that guy made Natsu's blood boil. There was a huge-walk in closet filled with a variety of shirts and pants. The pinkette laughed at the person's fashion sense. Natsu's green eyes traveled to the picture and the notebook. He picked up notebook with curiosity. Natsu proceeded to pry open the cover and-

"Um..excuse me?" A small voice called.

Natsu dropped the book and it landed hard on the floor. The former tribe leader spun around, ready for a fight but was surprised to see Wendy in the door way.

"W-Wendy?!" He called, a smile gracing his face.

Wendy's sad face lit up at the sight of her former friend. She ran over to him and pulled him into an embrace.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" The bluenette cried.

Natsu laughed whole heartedly. He was glad he wasn't alone.

XXX

Wendy and Natsu were sitting on the almost feather-like bed.

"I don't know if we should be in here." Wendy fretted.

"Why not?" Natsu asked, tilting his head.

"Because! This is Prince Gray's bedroom and if we are caught we'll be-"

"Don't sweat it alright? I'll protect you if anything happens."

Wendy crossed her arms.

"I can protect myself!" She protested.

"Glad to hear it." The pinkette laughed.

"How did you get captured? What about the tribe?" Wendy questioned quietly.

"Well the tribe is fine. I just surrendered so they would leave everyone else alone." Natsu answered clearly.

The bluenette only nodded. She had a feeling that was why he was there. Natsu didn't seem to care about his safety when he was fighting but when it came to his friends the stubborn leader would do anything, even giving up his own life. Wendy didn't know if she should have been proud or if she should have smacked him. She only smiled, being glad that she had a friend in the lonely castle. Natsu suddenly got up and stood in front of her.

"So how about we escape?" The pinkette said straightly.

"Escape?" Wendy repeated, the word felt foreign on her tongue.

"Yes as in get out of this hell hole and get back to the tribe!" Natsu smiled, grabbing the bluenette's wrist and dragging her out of the bedroom.

XXX

So there they were, standing in front of an open window. The pair was several stories up in the air but Natsu reassured Wendy that they would be fine. He hoped.

"Come on!" Natsu called, putting his foot on the window frame, ready to hoist himself up.

Wendy gasped," You want me to jump from this height! You must be crazy!"

The pink haired teen only smiled and held out his hand.

"We are going to break something or become pancakes!" The blunette protested as she shakily grabbed her leader's hand.

'See there is no way I am staying here.' Natsu thought as he prepared to jump out of the window.

"Stop!" A voice commanded and the two escapees froze.

Wendy quivered and Natsu narrowed his eyes. The pinkette turned his head to see a green haired man with sword in hand. He had a stern and deadly look on his face.

"Get out of that window now!" The man shouted again.

Out of habit, Wendy let go of Natsu's hand and stood in front of the knight.

"S-sir.." She stuttered.

"Tell it to the king! Get your friend out of the window!" He yelled, pointing the sword at Natsu who was in slight shock that Wendy had listened to the order.

Reluctantly, Natsu stepped out of the window but got into a fighting stance.

"Don't think I will come quietly." Natsu hissed.

The pinkette had been so close to freedom that he didn't want to lose it now. He put all his thoughts into making his fists light with bright flames but nothing happened. The pinkette closed his eyes with concentration but still his fists remained the same.

The green haired man only laughed and charged toward the confused pinkette. Before Natsu could react, the man hit him with the butt of his sword in the gut, sending the pink haired slave flying. Blood spurting out of his mouth.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried.

Natsu shook as he slowly got up and wiped off blood from the corner of his mouth with a grin.

"That all you got?" The pinkette taunted.

The man grinned back and charged again. This time the pinkette was ready for the attack. He was going to fight, flames or no.

XXX

Gray was relaxing in a chair in the parlor, reading a book on how people made ice sculptures.

'I would try this but all we have here is sand.' The raven thought.

It had been a few hours since he had gotten back from the city. His father had scolded him on how it was Gray's fault for making him look bad in public. The raven scoffed as he set down the book and closed his eyes, imaging having a normal life in the city. No pressures, no isolated fathers, no engagement, no piano lessons. The prince sighed as he slipped into his made up world, heart filling with wants and wishes that may never come true. Suddenly there was a loud bang, knocking the raven out of his trance. Gray looked up, hearing thumps from the next floor.

"Must be Freed and Erza fighting again." Gray assumed, wishing that they would just stay quiet.

Freed was one of his father's personal knights. He was a lanky guy with green hair and crazy sword wielding skills. Freed was pretty powerful but he always got his ass handed to him when he picked a fight with Erza Scarlet. The bangs continued and Gray was beginning to get quiet annoyed so he walked up the steps. He heard yelling coming from the end of the hall and he heard his dad's strong voice. The raven cautiously walked down the hall to find an open window, Natsu and Wendy, his dad, and Freed. Natsu and Wendy were slumped against one of the walls. Natsu was battered and bruised. Wendy looked up King Alastair with fear. Freed stood in front of the two slaves with confidence radiating from him. King Alastair was shouting loudly at Natsu and Wendy. Gray wanted to back away as soon as possible but the King caught him before the raven could turn and run.

"Ah, son. These two decided to try and escape. I would like you to give out whatever punishment you would see fit to the pink haired one." His father instructed, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"B-but I um.." Gray stuttered scratching the back of his head.

King Alastair didn't pay attention to his son but looked at petrified Wendy and striked her across the face. The bluenette whimpered as she grabbed her cheek. Natsu glared at the King with rage and prepared to stand up when he was kicked in the face by Freed, who was keeping a straight face. Gray shook his head.

'I can't punish someone!' The Prince's mind shouted as his father instructed Freed to escort Wendy to the throne room.

He could feel all the anticipation radiating off his father as the three passed the stunned Prince. Natsu looked up at Gray with a gritted teeth.

"So what will it be, my P_rince."_ The pinkette mocked.

Gray only blinked, thinking about how to handle the situation.

The raven walked up to the battered pinkette and slid down the wall to sit next to him.

"Nothing." He put simply.

Natsu stared at the Prince with curiosity.

"Nothing? That's pretty lame." Natsu chuckled and coughed a little.

Being next to the raven made the pinkette feel weak and sluggish.

"Hey! It's better than hurting you!" Gray protested.

Natsu only nodded, deciding weather or not to punch the Prince in the face and make a break for it.

"It's good you didn't make it outside." Gray commented.

"Wha? Why?!" Natsu yelled.

"Cause you would be powerless forever then."

"What-" Natsu stumbled, bewildered.

"I control whether or not you have your dragon powers. If you left now, when I didn't give you permission then you would have lost them forever." The raven explained casually.

"Then let me leave." Natsu stated, standing up.

"I-I can't."

"Why the hell not! I am not going to do any good for you anyway. I am lousy cook. I can't clean. I don't have anything useful so just let me leave."

"My father would kill me and-"

"Screw him!" Natsu shouted, anger poured into each word.

Gray winced. He wanted badly to let the teen go but his hands were tied.

"Just go help Erza polish the swords in the training room." Gray commanded, trying to change the subject.

"No." Natsu said firmly.

"God damn it Natsu just go!" The prince shouted, jumping to his feet.

"No!" Natsu yelled back, not standing down.

"I swear I will hurt you if you do not leave right now!"

"Go ahead and try!" The pink haired slave taunted, glaring at Gray.

All the fight in Gray died down. He really didn't want to hurt the pinkette but he had to do something. He punched Natsu in the face, knocking the weakened pinkette off his feet. With that the Prince stalked out of the hallway and back down the stairs, heading toward his room, his heart racing and fists balled.

XXX

It was the next morning. Gray was curled up in his comfortable bed, sound asleep. His scarlet haired alarm clock came storming in the room.

"Prince Gray! Princess Lucy is here!" Erza shouted.

"No~" The raven mumbled sleepily.

"Don't be so rude!" The knight yelled with annoyance as she pushed the sleeping Prince out of his bed. This was their normal routine so Gray was getting used to having a bump on the back of his head.

"I'm up! Sheesh could you not push me next time?" Gray muttered.

"Well first you have to wake up when I first call you." Erza replied back with a smirk. "Anyway Natsu has shown Princess Lucy into the parlor."

"How the hell do you get him to do-..nevermind." Gray laughed as he got up and quickly got dressed.

"What do you mean nevermind!? I am not that mean!" The knight cried.

Gray only scoffed and walked out of his bedroom, with Erza on his tail.

XXX

Natsu had led Lucy into the parlor and brought her some tea. The pinkette was doing so with a sour attitude of course.

'At least this lady is nice.' Natsu thought as he asked her if she needed anything else.

The pink haired teen had refused to bring Lucy in but after Erza's "great pep talk" he was forced to bring her in and give her anything she needed. It was all such a pain. There was loud footsteps coming from the hall way as Gray and Erza came into the parlor. Lucy's face lit up as she spotted Gray. The raven gave her a small smirk in return as he kissed her on the cheek. Erza stood next to Natsu which made the pinkette nervous. The knight was pretty scary and the pinkette had learned it first hand. Gray took the seat that was set next to the blonde's and they began to chat. Lucy looked at Natsu with a slight frown.

"Hmm I have never seem him since today. Is he one of King Alastair's slaves?" The princess questioned.

Natsu opened his mouth preparing to say he belonged to no one but was cut off by Gray.

"No, He..he is my dad's gift to me. His name is Natsu." The raven murmured.

Lucy furrowed her brow," I swear I have heard that name from some where but I really don't remember."

"He is no one." Erza piped up and Lucy only shook her head.

Natsu glared at the scarlet haired knight angrily and was returned with an even meaner look.

"I thought you never wanted a slave." Lucy continued.

"I don't bu-but it is very complicated, Princess." Gray stuttered flatly.

"Oh!" Lucy cried as she pulled something out of a pocket that was on her pretty pink dress.

The blonde handed Natsu a sealed letter.

"Could you give that to King Alastair. Tell him it is from my father, King Jude. Dad didn't tell me what it is about but he sounded urgent when he gave it to me."

Natsu took the letter gingerly and turned to go to the throne room. Gray watched the pinkette leave, wondering what the letter contained.

XXX

Natsu stopped at the throne room and gulped. He didn't want to face King Alastair though he thought if he had his powers he could take him on no problem. He opened the double doors slowly and walked in the room. A red carpet lead up to a large throne with a man sitting atop it. The king looked similar to Gray but had colder eyes and tamer hair.

"What do you want." The king called.

"Uh..Princess Lucy wanted me to..to give this to you." Natsu murmured.

"Well give it to me then. Who is it from?"

"King Jude." The pinkette replied handing the letter to the over bearing King.

The King quickly opened it and pulled out the letter, reading it silently to himself. Once he was finished he slipped the letter back in the envelope. His face was still as hard as rock but Natsu could see a hint of anger and maybe even fear in his dark blue eyes.

XXX

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**What was in the letter you guess? MUHAHAH you will not know till later xD So was it good? Please leave a review and favorite! NOW on to reviews:**

**demonprincess13: No no thank you! :D**

**dust diamond: Thank you and gratsu forever!**

**NyAnCaTX3: Thank you!**

**Llaelien: Why thank you :3**


	4. Panic Chapter 4

**Hey eveyone! :3 Sorry for the late update D: I am having sort of a writers block for this story but thanks to RL I got enough insperation to finish this chapter! :D I hope you guys enjoy! Again Thank you Running Lynx for giving me insperation for this story!**

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Natsu sat outside the throne room. Shortly after giving the king the letter, the pinkette was kicked out of the room and instructed to "do something useful."

The young slave couldn't help but wonder what was in the letter. It was from King Jude, who was the king of a city not far from Fairy Tail. Being the Dragon Tribe's leader, Natsu never really left his home to explore the rest of the desert. He had heard of the city but the pink haired teen didn't want to get involved with them.

Natsu leaned his head against the wall with a heavy sigh, thinking over ways to get his "master" to let him go free. The pinkette came up with many different tactics (some crazier than others) but none of them seemed like they would even work. One of the crazier plans involved Natsu flirting with Lucy and hopefully making Gray so mad that he would just kick the pink haired slave out of the castle. Another plan was just the pinkette trying to jump out of the window again. Natsu heard a few muffled shouts from the throne room and decided maybe it would better to go back to the parlor.

Gray sat in the same place Natsu had left him earlier. Lucy was absent from her chair and Erza was no were to be seen. Natsu stood there, unsure of what to say or even to say anything at all. Whenever the pinkette was around the prince he had a mixture of feelings. Some of them involved flaming hot anger and some shaky nervousness. The pinkette couldn't help but stare at the prince, admitting he was pretty handsome. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue that complimented the color of his wild hair. Gray was well built but not too bulky and he had nice sculpted features.

"Hey? Earth to Pinky!" A voice shouted, derailing Natsu's train of thought.

"Pinky!?" Natsu repeated, shaking a fist in the air.

Gray only smirked," Well the name suits you I guess."

"Don't go giving me weird nicknames!" The pink haired teen yelled, getting in the prince's face.

"Why not?"

"Cause! What if I started calling you 'The Biggest Bastard on Earth'?"

"That's not really a good nickname**."** Gray retorted, now out of his chair, nose to nose with Natsu.

With that last retort the prince was tackled to the ground. The teens were rolling on the floor, trying to pin one another down while screaming lame insults. Gray landed a good hit to Natsu's nose**,** making the pinkette wince. The slave quickly recovered and kicked the raven in the gut, switching their positons. This went on for what seemed like a couple of hours untill Gray flipped Natsu on his back. Natsu glared at the prince, grabbed Gray's arm and twisted. The raven gasped, lost his balance and crashed into the pinkette . The two teen's lips smashed togeather. Their eyes widened, breath and heart rate speeding up, and their faces glowed red. They stayed in the position, as if frozen in shock untill they heard the distant sound of footsteps. Gray scrambled off of Natsu and off the floor. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, face still rosy.

_What the hell just happened?_ Gray thought to himself repeatedly.

Erza stepped into the parlor, looking at Gray and Natsu with a raised eye brow.

"Something wrong you two?" Theknight asked casually.

"N-no..I just um..." Gray stuttered, trying to form a good lie.

"I got tired and decided to take a nap!" Natsu added quickly.

"On the hard marble floor?" Erza muttered in disbelief.

"What can I say? It is just too comfy..." Natsu said through gritted teeth.

"Whatever you say...anyway, King Alastair wants to see Gray in the Throne room and Natsu**,** go help the cooks in the kitchen." The knight scoffed, crossing her arms.

Gray nodded slowly, not wanting to see his father at the moment. His mind was still reeling after the little wresting accident. Knowing that he didn't have much of a choice, the prince left the parlor and to the throne room. There were two knights stationed at the doors making the raven raise an eyebrow in question. His father must have summoned him for something important to have two knights guarding the door. Gray stepped in front of the knights, who bowed and opened the double doors. The throne room was empty except for the king and his three personal assigned knights**:** Freed, Laxus, and Mirajane.

"Oh, son, please come here**," **his father said smoothly and flicked his wrist.

The prince glared at the floor as he stepped up to the group. Freed handed Gray a sealed envelope with a nod. The raven took the envelope gingerly and looked up at his father.

"What is this?"

"A letter that I need you to give to Princess Lucy." The king answered solemnly.

"Why do I have to do it?" Gray grumbled, eyes gazing over the letter.

"Because if I send a knight**,** he will only send him away**. **Princess Lucy must give it to King Jude personally**." **

"What's in the letter?"

"That letter is for King Jude's eyes only, you hear me? If I find out that you had read it there will be hell to pay. Dismissed!" King Alastair sneered.

"Yes sir**," **the raven hissed.

Gray walked out of the room, hearing hushed whispers behind him. His father never made him pass on letters. The raven wanted to know what the two kings where conversing about so he decided to go somewhere were his father's knights wouldn't see him and read the document.

Gray sighed in annoyance as he walked back to the front room and flash backs of "the accident" crossed his mind. Gray grimaced with a blush, noticing how adorable Natsu had looked at that moment.

The raven opened the large, doors that led outside. The hot wind blew the sand in all directions, making it hard to see. Gray squinted, trying to make out the dirt path that lead to the gateway. A fence blocked all the citizens from entering the castle without permission. Two armed guards, who could have been mistaken as statues, were planted outside the entrance.

"Ahem." Gray muttered as he stepped up to the iron gate.

The two knights spun around with no emotion in their stone cold faces. They both gave a small bow and led the raven through. The wind died down just enough to let the sand settle down to the ground. Gray shielded his face from the sun that beamed right in front of him. It was one of the hotter days in Fiore. Grayheard the sound of cicadas as he made his way to the rich part of the city. No one was out walking around or selling things at the market as the raven trudged on toward the beginning of the poor part of Fairy Tail.

Gray stopped in his tracks and looked at the letter. It was clearly addressed to King Jude and the prince knew that he would probably get into big trouble if his father found out but he shrugged. Gray walked over to an allay that was between two large buildings and leaned against the brick wall that was at the end of it. He opened the letter swiftly and pulled out the stiff, official paper. The raven's eyes scanned over the parchment as he began to read,

_Dear King Jude, _

_I am holding all of the slaves hostage. If you try to wage war, I will hold a public execution. I will personally make sure all of their deaths will be nice and slow. I am sure all of the citizens would love that. As for the arranged marriage, maybe we should just hold off on it till this matter is sorted out. _

_King Alastair of Fairy Tail_

Gray dropped the paper in panic.

_Kill all of the slaves?_ The prince thought with horror. _Would dad really kill them?_

One other thing made the raven's eyes widen**.** _Natsu's in danger!_

With that Gray ran all the way back to the castle. Sand blew in his eyes but it didn't stop him. He finally made it to the entrance of the castle, panting and sweating. The guards gave the prince a curious look but let him through. Gray ran to the double doors without acknowledging the knights and pushed doors open.

Cool air blasted the raven in the face as he stepped into the parlor. He tried to catch his breath as he looked around at the open area. It was silent and empty, no sign of the pink haired slave.

Gray's heart raced as he ran into the kitchen, praying that Natsu was still helping the cooks. The raven hoped that his father hadn't hurt the pinkette. Images of the kiss ran into the prince's mind, making him blush. Though the prince would never admit it, Natsu had grown on him. Gray looked around for the familiar wild pink hair but sighed with defeat. Levy, the castle's head cook, glanced at the prince.

"Are you okay, Your Majesty?" She asked sweetly as she began to cut up some carrots.

"Is Natsu here?" The raven asked quickly, still panting.

"Oh the pink haired one?"

"Y-yeah! Did he leave?"

"Hmm**…** Yeah he left awhile ago." Levy frowned as she picked up the carrots and dumped them into a boiling pot.

Gray said nothing as he ran out of the kitchen and back into the front room. He had no idea where Natsu was and it freaked the prince out. The teen ran up the stairs, a sheet of sweat forming on his pale face.

"Natsu!" Gray cried out hoping the slave would answer.

Without noticing the knight, Gray crashed into Erza.

"My Prince!" The scarlet haired woman yelled angrily.

"Sorry... Hey have you seen Natsu?"

Erza shook her head and with a nod, walked down the stairs.

Gray frowned and continued to sprint down the hallway. The pinkette had to be somewhere in the castle! The teen's mind was a blur as the panic and adrenaline in him started to slow down. The raven was reminding himself to breathe and think rationally.

_Father wouldn't be that cruel..._ Gray thought**,** then snorted.

King Alastair _was_ that cruel. He would kill anyone or anything that got in his way. The prince passed one of the bathrooms and the door was cracked open. He heard some shuffling as if something was being moved around.

"Hello?" The raven called out.

He pushed open the door and saw a young boy with dark purple hair cleaning the floor with a small brush. The raven believed the slave's name was Romeo. King Alastair's knights had found Romeo outside the city barriers, starving and filthy. They brought the boy back to the castle and King Alastair would only let him stay if he became a slave. Gray never really saw the kid around due to Romeo being one of Gray's father's personal slaves. The purple haired boy looked up at the prince startled and hurried to get off the semi-clean tiles.

"Prince Gray! I-I'm sorry...I'll g-get out now!" The boy squealed as he fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.

"No it's alright**,** Romeo," Gray replied with a slight frown**. "**Have you seen Natsu?"

The slave's eyes brightened**. "**Yes sir. I saw Wendy and Nastu go out to the garden."

Gray nodded in thanks and ran out of the bathroom, back to the sitting room, then out to the garden. The enclosure was nice and quiet. All the raven could hear was the sound of the wind and some low bird chirps. The teen spotted Wendy looking up at the top of one of the garden walls. The wall was made of rusted metal with shriveled up vines snaking up around it. It was very unpleasant to look at but blue haired slave looked almost concerned.

"Why isn't he here yet?" She muttered, loud enough for Gray to hear.

Suddenly, a head of pink hair ran up to the former dragon slayer. Natsu had come from the other end of the garden which was the only other entrance to the lifeless sanctuary. Gray stepped forward quietly so he would be close enough to get a better look at the slaves but far enough to not be noticed.

"Sorry I took so long...those knights are pretty tough." The pinkette said modestly, rubbing the back of his head.

Gray frowned, noticing little cuts and bruises on Natsu's arms and face. Wendy also noticed and wiped off blood from the Dragon tribe leader's cheek.

"We are going to get out of here this time**. **Then we can go join that lady." Natsu smiled.

Wendy's blue eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope.

Gray couldn't help but be mesmerized by the teen's smile. It lit up the whole place and he seemed so sincere. Natsu's green eyes traveled over to Gray.

_Damn it!_ The prince mentally cursed himself as he walked over to the two slaves.

"What are you guys doing?" The raven asked like he hadn't been listening the whole time.

Natsu sneered at Gray and stood protectively in front of Wendy. "We are getting the out of here."

The teen prince shook his head with a sigh. He knew that Natsu would be better off leaving but the darker part of himself begged to differ.

"What about your powers?" Gray murmured, crossing his arms.

"I really don't give a damn at this point, my _prince_." Natsu snapped in a mocking tone.

The pinkette grabbed Wendy's wrist and walked up to the wall.

"How do you plan to get up and over?" Gray smirked.

Natsu growled, "Shut up!"

"Look Natsu you guys are in da—"

"I would recommend that you two stay for a while**," **a cold voice cooed.

Gray turned to face his father, Freed, Mirajane, and Romeo. Romeo was quivering behind King Alastair with tears forming in his eyes. The purple haired boy mouthed 'I'm sorry' and Gray gulped. Freed and Mirajane walked up to Wendy and Natsu, swords drawn.

"I believe this deserves a punishment." King Alastair snickered.

"F-father I—" Gray stuttered.

The king's cold eyes landed on Gray**. **"I don't want to hear a word from you. You tried to help them escape."

Freed grabbed Natsu's shoulder, only to be hit in the face. The green haired knight hissed and swung his sword. Natsu cried out in pain as he stumbled to the sandy ground, clutching his bloody leg. The pink haired teen struggled to get up but Freed stepped on his head keeping him trapped to the ground.

"Natsu!" Wendy yelled as Mirajane grabbed her.

Gray looked at Natsu with worry as King Alastair put his hand on the prince's shoulder.

"You three will be sleeping somewhere _special _tonight."

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XXX

**Cliffhanger!? What will happen to our trio? Stay tuned for next chapter to find out! :D**

**You guys need to check out Running Lynx's story that is the same concept as this story but hers is quite different and awesome!**

**www. fanfiction s/9885874/1/ In-The-Desert (Don't use the spaces when you type it in!)**

**Please review and Favorite :3 They are both appreciated!**

**Now on to the review from last chapter!**

**demonprincess13: Guess you found out! XD**

**NyAnCaTX3: Poor Poor Natsu D: I am glad you like this story though!**

**Sylvia-san: Maybe they will...maybe they won't O; Glad you find it interesting!**

**Crystalangel544: Good because I hate tomatoes! D: Cx**

**x0xalexis8: Yeppp**

**Running Lynx: :D Thanks you!**

**lydiareynolds117: The wedding may or may not be off XD I know right! Only Natsu is perfect with Gray! **

**Gratsu-dragon: Glad you love it :3**

**Bellatrix Trickster: Guess you found out!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed chapter four and again please review and favorite!**


	5. Torture Chapter 5

**Wow you guys seemed to like the last chapter and that makes me extremely happy! I hope everyone will like this chapter just as much! Thank you Running Lynx for inspiration for this story! Now on to chapter 5~**

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Gray was leaning up against a cold stone wall with an irritated look on his face. He was pissed and hurt. His father accused him for helping the slaves escape and now the three teens were in the royal prison. The royal prison was not _royal _what so ever. It smelled like mould and it smelled musty. The air was heavy and it was hard to take a proper breath. The walls of the cell were damp with mildew and freezing while the floor was just dirt. Natsu was laying in the corner, eyes barely open while Wendy fretted over the pinkette's leg. The wound Freed had made was pretty deep but according to Natsu he felt just fine. Of course Gray knew that was a lie because the pink haired teen's face would scrunch up in pain every few minutes.

"Is he going to be okay?" Gray questioned as he looked over at Wendy.

The bluenette merely nodded with a frown, resting her hand on Natsu's knee. Gray pressed the back of his head on the wall and closed his eyes for a few minutes, imaging something better than being in a cell.

"Give...Give him his powers back!" Wendy suddenly cried, making the raven's eyes fly open.

He looked at the former Dragon tribe member**,** startled and guilty.

"I-I can't..."

Wendy stood up and walked over to the prince, hands balled up into fists.

"Wendy don't-" Natsu muttered, reaching out for her.

"Just do it already...Who cares if the King gets his panties in a twist? Natsu and I don't deserve to be locked in this hell hole! We never deserved to be taken from our home…to be taken from our family. Don't go saying that you can't because King Alastair will slap you on the damn wrist! I want you to free him!" The blue haired slave shouted and for good measure slapped the raven across the face.

Everything got silent**;** all Gray heard was Wendy trying to catch her breath. Natsu sat up and looked at the girl almost amazed. Before anyone could say another word there was a loud squeak from the dungeon entrance. Gray held his breath, praying that no one had heard what Wendy had yelled. A man with spiky yellow hair stopped in front of the teens' cell.

"Laxus…" Gray sneered. The knight smiled maliciously.

The raven should have known that his father might go to the extreme to teach them a message. Laxus was one of the king's personal knights and the castle's torturer.

"Don't worry, my prince. All you have to do is watch~" The man chuckled as he slowly unlocked the cell door.

Natsu instantly stood up and pushed Wendy behind him. The pinkette winced as he reached for his leg and Laxus walked in the cell.

"Now...who wants to go first?"

"Laxus, don't hurt them!" Gray commanded.

"Prince Gray… you know very well that all the knights follow your dad before you." The man scoffed casually as he reached out to grab Natsu's arm.

"Tell my father I'll be tortured instead!" Gray spitted out.

The prince wasn't sure why he had offered himself to torture but he sure as hell didn't want to hear his friends scream.

"You care for these savages more than you do for yourself?" The knight asked, stepping away from Natsu and Wendy.

Natsu looked over at Gray with an unreadable expression on his face as they all waited for the prince's answer. Gray stood up, hoping that Laxus wouldn't attack him. The raven couldn't believe what he was about to do and hoped that his father wouldn't murder him. He faced Natsu who gave him a confused look.

Gray smirked. "Yeah…I do."

He planted a kiss on the former Dragon slayer's lips causing Wendy and Laxus to gape. Natsu's green eyes widened but slowly closed. The two stood there for a few minutes, escaping into their own little world.

"Well, I don't mean to ruin the moment but I think it is time for some screams," Laxus muttered, pulling Gray away from Natsu.

Natsu looked at Gray with despair and shock then his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The dragon slayer crumpled to the dirt floor.

"What the—" Laxus asked looking at Natsu's form.

Wendy bent down to Natsu with worry painted plain on her face.

Gray gave Laxus an amused look. The raven hoped that Natsu would wake up real soon and kick the knight's ass. Laxus glared at Gray with sudden anger.

"You just had to do that didn't you? Wait untill the king hears about this! Your punishment will surely be more than torture!"

"I don't care. As long as they get out I will be just fine," Gray retorted, getting into a fighting stance, ready to face the knight for the time being.

Laxus noticed and drew his sword. "Do you really want to fight me?..."

"He won't have to,"a strong voice said. Laxus turned around to face Erza.

"What are you doing here? The king said no knights are allowed down here." The yellow-haired man replied, sword lowered a bit.

Erza pulled out her sharp blade with one swift moment and attacked the man with fury**. **

Gray wanted badly to aid her, but knew she helped them by distracting the knight. Gray picked up Natsu's lifeless body with a grunt and motioned to Wendy to follow him. The slave looked at the prince with panic but gazed over at Erza and Laxus who were going at it and it seemed they were both matched in strength. The red-head caught Gray's eyes and simply smiled as the teens made their way to the entrance door. Laxus looked over at the escapees with anger but was stabbed in the arm as a result. The man grabbed his arm and looked back at his opponent. Gray prayed that his knight would make it out alive.

Wendy and Gray climbed the stairs, the prince having a harder time with Natsu dangling from his shoulder. They ended up in the back of the kitchen. The raven gulped, unsure of how exactly they were going to get out of the castle without being caught.

"How are we going to get out of here safely?" Wendy stuttered, voicing Gray's worries.

"I have no idea..."

Wendy looked at the prince with despair as they quietly walked through the kitchen, thankful for the room being empty. Natsu let out a small groan as the group made their way into the parlor. Gray hoped that the pinkette would wake up soon so they could get out of the castle faster. Having Natsu on his shoulder was slowing him down. The teen was a lot heavier than he looked.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice asked from behind them.

Gray cursed under his breath and turned around, only to have a sharp sword pointed at his chest. Three female knights stood there with swords drawn and eyes filled with blood lust. The raven only recognised one, whose name was Evergreen. He gulped as he set Natsu on the floor carefully. The pink haired leader twitched but didn't open his eyes. Wendy stood next to Gray, shaky fists in the air. Evergreen laughed a little at the pathetic scene in front of her.

"Your father made sure there were extra knights on patrol. I am happy we happened to come into the parlor just in time." The knight behind her chuckled.

Gray had no idea how he was going to fight the knights without Evergreen's sword piercing his heart.

"I am sure my dad wouldn't want me dead right?" The raven muttered, trying to buy some time.

"He never said you had to be put back in the prison _alive." _The brown-haired woman sneered.

"But-that's treason!" Wendy yelled with shock.

All three of the knights just shrugged and the tip of Evergreen's sword pressed a little harder into Gray's chest. The raven hoped that he would make it out of the situation alive.

XXX

Natsu was having the strangest dream. He was taken away from his home and was now a slave for a snobby rich prince. After a while, Natsu slowly begun to feel a little something toward the raven. Then he tried to escape with Wendy and they all got caught. He was thrown into a prison with the prince and the other slave. A yellow-haired man came into the cell and was about to hurt them. Then all of a sudden the raven haired teen kissed Natsu and-

Natsu's eyes flew open and he was breathing hard like he had just ran a marathon. His body felt tough and hot. The pinkette felt like he had just swallowed some lava but it didn't burn. Natsu felt filled with power. The pink haired teen looked around, realising his dream wasn't a "dream" after all. He was laying down on the hard title in the castle parlor. In front of him was Gray and Wendy with three knights looking at them like they were pieces of meat. Natsu slowly got up off the floor with a hiss in pain. His left leg throbbed and was covered in blood. Wendy turned around to face the teen. The pinkette only smiled his signature smile and limped to stand beside Gray.

"So what did I miss?" He asked, pulling up his fist that were set ablaze.

Evergreen's eyes darted to the pinkette, her sword swiftly moved from Gray to Natsu but she was just a bit too late. Natsu punched the knight right in the cheek, sending her to the floor. Evergreen's sword flew in the air and Gray caught it**. **The knight scrambled off the ground and put up her fists. Natsu grinned and the two began to fight, leaving Wendy and Gray to face the two other women. The knights let out a battle cry and charged toward the escapees. Gray held up his new sword in defence, trying to remember some of his practice. His father had made him take some sword lessons but the prince rarely payed attention. The raven raised the sword and sliced down hitting something. The knight he had hit hissed in pain, drawing back her arm that dripped blood. Gray's heart beat so fast that he thought he would pass out.

Everything from then on was like a blur. Gray and Wendy held off the two knights and Natsu was close to beating Evergreen. Suddenly, the kitchen doors flew open and Levy ran into the parlor with a steak knife. She ran up to Gray and began to fend off the two female knights.

"What are you doing, Levy?" The raven yelled over the sound of fighting.

"Just helping, my prince! Go on now! I can handle them!" The cook shouted back, swinging her knife skillfully.

"Natsu! Come on!" The prince yelled as he grabbed Wendy's wrist. "Thank you, Levy..."

Natsu turned to face Gray, his flaming fists dying down. Evergreen laid knocked out on the title floor. The pinkette ran up to his friends and the three ran toward the door that opened up to the outside. The prince pushed open the double doors and the group ran down the dirt path. Of course none of them had thought about the guards at the front door. When they reached the gates, Gray was shocked to see Princess Lucy, standing over the body of one of the guards. She looked up at them and smiled.

"I am glad you could make it. Now let's get out of here."

XXX

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**Whaaa? Why is Princess Lucy here you ask? You will have to wait to find out! xD I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Plenty of action and suspense I hope! **

**You guys need to check out Running Lynx's story that is the same concept as this story but her's is quite different and awesome!**

**www. fanfiction s/9885874/1/ In-The-Desert (Don't use the spaces when you type it in!)**

**Please favorite and review this story! They are appreciated! :3**

**Now on to last chapters reviews!**

**demonprincess13: Are you reading my mind? xD**

**lydiareynolds: I am glad he did give Natsu back his powers :3**

**NyAnCaTX3: Are you reading my mind too D: xD**

**Analaa: I am glad he got them back :)**

**x0xalexis8: xD Gray is so close to a lot of things**

**Bellatrix Trickster: Doesn't everyone D: xD**

**Running Lynx: Thank you! :D**

**Dust Diamond: Glad you love it!**

**Guest: Yes, the author of In The Desert gave me inspiration for this story!**

**Crystalangel554: My sister likes tomatoes O_O xD I think everyone hates the king D: He is so evil and yeah I feel bad for Romeo to x3 **

**Thanks to everyone **


	6. Rebels Chapter 6

**I am super sorry for the really late update! I have been busy and such xD I hope everyone had a great holiday! :D Thanks to Running Lynx for all the insperation! Side Note:**

**(For those who don't know 'privyet' means hi or hey in Russian :D I wanted a secret password for the rebels to use and the Russian is dedicated to Running Lynx :3 )**

**Here is chapter six!**

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Before Gray knew it, he was in the poor part of Fairy Tail. The raven couldn't help but give Lucy glances of curiosity. The prince wondered why the princess was helping them and why she was in the city in the first place. A cold breeze ruffled through the raven's hair, making goose bumps appere on his pale skin. The sun was already down and the silvery moon hung in the dark sky. Wendy was helping Natsu walk due to the wound on his leg growing worse.

"Lucy where are we going?" Gray called out, getting fed up with guessing.

"To the rebel base." She merely whispered as they trekked toward a broken down shack.

The shack didn't seem out of place because most of the buildings in the poor part of town were broken down and close to collapse. The building in front of them had large holes in the roof and the door was hanging on one hinge. The windows were all shattered or boarded up with wooden planks, it didn't seem like a super secret rebel base.

The group walked inside the small shack and was surprised to see nothing but a bare space covered in cob webs. The whole place had a mouldy smell to it that made Gray's face crunch up in disgust. In the corner of the floor was what looked to be a closed hatch with a rusted handle attached to the floor. Lucy walked over to the hatch and opened it slowly.

"Privyet." The blonde whispered down the hatch, making it echo.

The word she spouted was quickly returned and the princess smiled at her little group.

"Alright, it's safe to go."

Natsu limped up to the hatch and Gray followed suit, The two looked down the hatch. It was a deep, pitch dark hole that led to only God knows where.

"Down there? Are you kidding me?" Natsu whined, looking down at his blood crusted leg.

Lucy looked at the Dragon tribe leader with some sympathy but jumped down the hole. Gray's blue eyes widened, wondering if she would be okay when she landed. There was a loud thud and Lucy's voice range through the hole.

"Now it's your turn!"

Gray looked down the hatch and gulped but jumped. The wind whistled in his ears as he fell in the dark. Suddenly, he landed on a filthy mattress with a loud thump and torch light filled his eyes. Lucy and a orange haired teen stood in front of him. The teen gave him a disapproving look and turned his gaze to Lucy.

"We made no promise to keep the _prince_ here." The male said, holding the torch aloft.

"Loke, I know but he can be of value to us!" Lucy retorted, looking over at the prince who was confused.

Loke only scoffed as the blonde helped the raven up. Soon, Natsu and Wendy fell on top of the mattress. The pink haired teen let out a groan in pain as he stood up with Wendy's help.

"Our Leader will not be happy with Gray being here." Loke mumbled as the group walked down a dark, damp passage way.

The passage way was not lit and the walls were moss covered stone bricks. Gray helped Natsu walk because Wendy had warn herself out. The pinkette's arm was slung over the prince's neck and the raven's hand was around the dragon slayer's hip. Natsu didn't look at Gray the whole time, with a pink hue on his tan cheeks. Gray could feel heat radiate off of the pink haired teen's body as they followed Loke and Lucy to a small wooden door. Lucy knocked on the door twice and the door swung open with a loud creak. Standing in the door way was a woman with long brown hair and a beer mug in her hand. She smiled slightly as she took a sip of her beer.

"So these are the people you were talking about, Princess?" The woman asked.

"Yes. This is Gray, Wendy, and Natsu." The blonde replied gesturing to the escapees. "Guys, this is Cana."

Gray nodded in hello and only received a glare from her. No one the prince had met so far seemed to like him very much. Cana led them inside to what looked like a living room. Two brown couches rested on the far side of the room with a few dusty throw pillows thrown carelessly on top. In the middle of the room was a ladder that led far up. Gray could hear the hushed chatter of other people through the door next to him.

"It's dinner time so go clean up and meet us in the kitchen." Cana announced as she walked through the door leaving the rest of the group behind.

XXX

Gray and Wendy managed to help Natsu to the bathroom. Lucy had help the pinkette clean up his sliced leg and wrapped it in a flimsy bandage.

"Thanks." Natsu smiled weakly.

"Hopefully it won't get infected." Lucy replied and shook her head. "Who ever did that got you good."

Gray nodded slowly, "It was one of my father's knights."

Before the blonde could reply there was a knock at the door.

"Lucy? Are you in there?" A male voice yelled, knocking the door repeatedly.

Lucy huffed and opened the door. Standing there was a blue haired man with a peculiar red tattoo running down his left eye. Gray gaped at the man.

"J-Jellal?" The raven stuttered.

Jellal smirked and bowed mockingly. Gray only stared, the blue haired man used to be his other personal knight. Erza and Jellal had a great relationship with the prince and naturally with each other. That all changed when the former knight started to disobey the king and threatened to one day over rule him. Before King Alastair could have exiled or executed him, the man seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth but there he was...right in front of the prince.

"I don't think we can allow Gray to stay here tonight." Jellal announced, glancing over to Lucy.

The blonde glared at the man, "Where should he go then?"

XXX

Gray ended up being sent to another building that was far away from the base. The building was a bit nicer due to it being right next to the rich part of town. It was only one story but was furnished and even had a few cans of food in the cupboard. The raven understood why he was sent away from the base but he wasn't happy about it. He would have to spend the night alone in a foreign place in the part of Fairy Tail where everyone hated the royals. It was nerve-wracking to the prince but he tried to keep calm and make it through the night. Princess Lucy had dropped him off and left with only a hushed goodbye. He had so many questions that he needed answered but knew that he would have to wait to ask them.

Gray sat down on the bed that was near the front door. The bed squealed as he moved to lay down and looked up at the white ceiling. Millions of thoughts and memories ran through his head. Why did he run away? What happened to Erza and Levy? Will he be able to go back home soon? Will the rebels ever trust him? What will King Alastair do now? How is Natsu doing?

Gray snorted at the thought of his former slave. The raven somehow ended up warming up to him even though he resented having him in the first place. He wondered what would happen to the dragon slayer after everything was over.

'Of course he wouldn't stay with me.' Gray thought as he rolled over on his side.

His heart began to ache at all of the questions and all of the outcomes that he came up with. The teen really didn't want Natsu to leave. He wished that he would have never met the pinkette in the first place. If they never met then none of the horrible things would have happened. Gray would still be at home with Erza and he would be safe but did he really feel safe in the castle? Didn't the thought of his dad keep him up at night? The raven wished his mother was still around. She would have never put Gray in the castle prison or get him a slave as a gift. Sure, Queen Ur had been stubborn and always forced Gray to do his very best but he missed that. His mother had sacrificed herself for his protection. Gray slipped into a memory he wished to forget completely.

XXX

_"I should have never had a son as worthless as you!" Gray's father boomed._

_The ten year old prince was quivering on the practice room floor as King Alastair hovered over him. Gray had failed to create ice once again. His mother could use Ice Make Magic but not matter how hard Gray tried he couldn't make anything. The king had demanded that the prince be able to use magic like his mother though Alastair couldn't use it himself. Queen Ur stood a few inches from the pair with an angered face._

_"Don't you dare tell our son that!" She suddenly shouted, her arms flaying in the air._

_King Alastair didn't look at his wife and only proceeded to hit Gray until there was blood on his knuckles. The ten year old cried out, trying to block his father's blow._

_"Please! I'm sorry, daddy!" The raven yelped._

_The king pulled back his fist one more time but Ur grabbed her husband's wrist._

_"Enough." She muttered in a low voice._

_Freed, Erza, and Jellal were standing near the doors watching the event unfold with straight face, except for Jellal. The knight's sword was slightly out of it's sheth and his teeth were gritted._

_King Alastair ripped his wrist out of Queen Ur's grip and hissed at her,"You are not allowed to tell me what to do is that clear?"_

_"Dear, I have been quiet for quite some time now. I have had more than enough. I will not allow you to treat Gray like this any longer." The woman declared, eyes level with the king's._

_"Freed, Erza, and Jellal." The King yelled and the three knights ran over. "I want her dead."_

_The room was dead silent as the knights glared at the king with disbelief._

_"What are you talking about, My Majesty? We can't!" Erza gasped._

_"Do what I tell you or you will be sentenced to death as well! My word is law." The man growled loudly._

_Gray felt tears run down his face as he ran up to his dad and began hitting his back with tiny fists._

_"No! You can't hurt mommy!"_

_"That's enough from you." King Alastair merely said as he turned and sent the boy flying across the floor._

_"Gray!" Ur cried out and reached out for her son._

_King Alaistair glared daggeres at the knights who were running reluctently over to the Queen. Gray looked up to see Erza, Jellal, and Freed trying to subdue his mother but they weren't putting much effort into it. Freed ran up to Ur with his sword slightly drawn but was blocked up a sudden thick sheet of ice infront of him. Erza's sword was knocked out of her hand by a shard of ice that flew her way. Gray was proud to see his mother fight back and it seemed to be that she was winning. Suddenly the King growled in frustrtation as he picked up Erza's fallen sword._

_"Looks like I have to do this myself." He muttered and walked confedently up to Queen Ur who was being loosly held by Freed._

_She manged to pulled out of Freed's grip sending herself staggering foward right into the king's sword. The Queen looked at her son who was still lying on his back behind the King. She smiled at him and whispered:_

_"I love you."_

_The king only smirked as he withdrew the sword and stepped back alittle, making his wife's body collapse on the ground._

XXX

Natsu was sitting on a cot that was in a room he was staying in with Wendy. The room was well lit and it felt nice and cosy but the pinkette had other things on his mind. He was going over the events that had happened. One thing stuck the dragon slayer as odd. Gray had kissed him and he had passed out after that. Then out of the blue he had his powers back! Of course Natsu wasn't too dense not to know the kiss somehow gave him back his dragon slayer magic. In the back of the pinkette mind he couldn't help but like the way the kiss felt.

'_Woah! I did not just think that!_' The pink haired teen mentally scolded as he continued to dwell on the kiss.

Natsu wasn't the type of person to fall in love with another person so easily but there was just something about the prince that he couldn't get over. The pink haired teen hoped that the feelings could simply fade away but deep inside he had a feeling it wouldn't be so easy. Another thing that he was thinking over was whether or not he should leave the rebel base and go home. Of course he would take Wendy with him. He didn't have to stay with Gray any longer. He should go and make sure his tribe was doing okay but why did he have this sinking feeling in his chest when he thought about leaving the prince behind? Natsu's head started to pound as he laid down and closed his eyes, wanting all of his thoughts to go away.

XXX

Gray gasped as he shot out of bed. He wiped away tears that dripped on the ratty blanket below. Gray wished he could just burn that memory completely but no matter how hard he tried to forget it always haunted him. He noticed that the sun had risen into the sky and felt his stomach let out a low growl in hunger. Reluctantly, the raven got out of bed and walked over to the cupboard. He opened the little door and spotted a dented can of beans.

"Great." The prince mumbled and took out the can.

He really didn't like beans but he felt like he was starving. The only problem was that he didn't have anything to open the can with. Gray cursed and started to bang the end of the can on the counter like an idiot.

"Do you need this?" A voice chuckled behind him.

Gray spun around to face Jellal who was holding a can opener with amusement in his eyes. Gray felt his face light up with embarrassment as he grabbed the can opener grumpily.

"You could at least say thank you." Jellal scoffed as he sat down at the small round table that was in the middle of the room.

"Yeah yeah." Gray muttered as he fiddled with the opener.

Suddenly, someone else ran through the open doorway with a flyer in her hand and a crazed look in her eyes. She instantly handed the flyer to Jellal.

"One of the king's knights were handing these out..." The white haired woman panted.

Jellal took the flyer and looked her over with hazy eyes. "Thank you Lissanna."

The blue haired man looked over the official looking piece of paper and his eyes instantly widened. He stood up from his chair.

"That bastard!" Jellal yelled, slamming his fist on the nearby table.

"What is it?" Gray asked, dropping the can on the floor and took the flyer from the former knight's hand.

The prince looked over the flyer and nearly collapsed.

**CITIZENS WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC TOWN SQUARE AT NINE TONIGHT!**

_Your King is holding a public execution of two traitors of Fairy Tail. _

_He would like you all to attend and watch. _

_Traitors being executed are as follows:_

_Erza Scarlet for defying the King and fighting against Fairy Tail._

_Levy McGarden for fighting against Fairy Tail._

Gray's throat grew dry as the flyer left his hand and floated to the floor.

"We have to save them."

XXX

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**O_O OH NO~ XD Will Erza and Levy be okay? Will Gray ever find the answers he is looking for? Find out in chapter 7! I will try my best to update it sooner then I did this chapter! Also don't forget to favorite and review!**

**You guys need to check out Running Lynx's story that is the same concept as this story but her's is quite different and awesome!**

**www. fanfiction s/9885874/1/ In-The-Desert (Don't use the spaces when you type it in!)**

**On to the lovely reviews! **

**gratsulover117/lydiareynolds: Of course he kicked butt! xD Glad you loved the chapter!**

**fairygirl09: I think it will be a mixture of both. I am sorry I didn't explain his feelings further in the last chapter! I tried my best to give him his own little brooding scene haha I hope that clears some of it up! Let me know if you have anymore questions :)**

**Running Lynx: Why thank you :3**

**Bellatrix Trickster: Hmm...Do you think she will turn out bad somehow :o XD**

**NyAnCaTX3: Not quite but good guess!**

**AznAkatsuki: I am glad you like the story. As for Gray having powers I already explained why he doesn't have any in this chapter! I am trying my best to add fluffy scenes but it is kinda hard to do with this type of story **

**Craystalangel554: XD You made it sound like Lucy was a superhero O: xD Super Lucy!**

**demonprincess13: Muhaha you didn't get it right this time but good guess! XD **

**Analaa: Princess Lucy is quite the savior xD**

**I love everyone's reviews! They make me happy :3**


	7. Plans Chapter 7

**Before you read the chapter I want to bring something to my readers attention. I changed a small detail in chapter six. The person who leads them into the rebel base will be Loke and not Lyon. You will find out later why I changed it... Also there is one more thing I have had a few reviews telling me about another story similar to this one and the story you are mentioning is my friend RunningLynx's story. She is the one who gave me the inspiration for this story and she wrote her take on the idea as well! Her's is unique and different and I am sure you guys will enjoy it as well :) Now on to chapter 7~**

* * *

Natsu was sitting awkwardly in the dining hall. Wendy was still asleep and Lucy had left the other night and went back home so her father wouldn't worry too much. Smoke rose from the pan that Cana was cooking with a shrivelled up egg sizzled in the pan. Some burnt pieces of bacon were on a plate next to her and a bottle of whisky was in the brunette's hand. Natsu was surprised about how early he had woken up. He was about to go and wake up Wendy when the door flew open. Gray ran inside along with Jellal and a girl with short white hair.

Gray waved a paper in the pinkette's face. He snatched it out of the raven's hand with a hiss of annoyance.

"What is it?" Natsu grumbled as he eyes scanned over the flyer.

His head shot up with wide green eyes. He couldn't believe that two people who tried to help them were being sentenced to death. The pink haired teen saw the alarm in Gray's face and he felt bad for the prince . The pinkette's eyes glanced over to Jellal, whose face showed no expression but his hands were balled up into fists.

"So will you help or not?" Gray asked, looking the pinkette right in the eyes.

Natsu didn't know what to do. He wanted to help the girls that he owed his escape to, but then again he didn't want to get into any further trouble.

"Please Natsu," The raven added in a hushed tone.

The pinkette nodded his head in agreement and got up off of his chair.

"When are we going to leave?"

XXX

Gray followed Natsu and Jellal to the rebel's 'battle planning' room. In the middle of the large room was a huge wooden table with paper and pens scattered on top. There was a whiteboardon the left wall and two couches on the other side. Gray noted that it didn't seem as high-tech as he had imagined but he had more important things on his mind. He was worried. The prince prayed that they would be able to save his knight. He had known the red-head for as long as he could remember. Erza was a very important person in the raven's life and he didn't want to lose her. Jellal walked over to the table and grabbed a pen. Natsu stood next to him and glared at the blank piece of paper.

"What is our plan?" Gray asked, walking over to the table.

"Obviously we can't just go walking out there without some sort of disguise," the pinkette said.

"We can use some hoods," Jellal replied as he scribbled something on the paper.

They spent the next hour trying to come up with a plan to save Erza and Levy. Lucy arrived in the middle of their planning and stayed to help. In the end they gathered a small group of people to join them on their rescue mission. Gray felt his heart stammer in his chest. The prince didn't know if the plan would work out. He knew his father had a few tricks up his sleeve.

After they looked over the plan and made sure it was as fool-proof as it could be, Jellal went to gather the people they went to check on the food supplies, leaving Natsu and Gray alone.

Gray looked over at the pinkette who was looking down at his feet. The raven felt he should say something but didn't know what. An awkward silence hung between them.

_Maybe I should talk about what happened in the prison?_ He thought and opened his mouth to speak.

"About what happened back at the castle...I uh understand why you...kissed me," Natsu said suddenly, looking up at the prince.

Gray scratched the back of his head, a red hue forming on his cheeks. "If I didn't do it then...we wouldn't have been able to get out. It's not like I feel that way about you."

The raven could have sworn that he saw slight sadness in the dragon slayer's green eyes.

"Right...Well I better go and see what Wendy is up to," Natsu muttered as he stormed out of the room, leaving a dazed prince behind.

XXX

Natsu had a mixture of feelings running through his body. He didn't know how to make sense of them all. The pinkette felt hurt and sad but he didn't know exactly why. He shouldn't feel sad because the prince didn't care about him in a romantic way, right? The pinkette walked into the kitchen and spotted familiar blue hair. Wendy was helping Cana clean up the mess she made when she was cooking breakfast.

"Hey Natsu!" The bluenette smiled cheerfully as she spotted the pink haired teen.

Natsu smiled weakly at his friend. "Hey."

Wendy frowned and put down a towel she was holding. She crossed her arms and stood in front of the pink haired dragon slayer.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

Natsu shook his head with a fake laugh. "Nothing at all! Do you guys need some help?"

The pinkette didn't want to tell Wendy anything that had happened over the past hour or so. He didn't want her to go with them on the rescue mission. The pink haired teen was afraid that if she came along then she would get hurt or something bad would happen.

Cana peered over to the pair and shrugged. "I think we are about done so you two can do whatever."

The brunette grabbed her beer and staggered out of the kitchen. Wendy was still glaring daggers at Natsu. He knew that she wasn't fully convinced that nothing was going on.

"Did Gray say something to you?" She said suddenly, sitting down on the nearest chair.

Natsu sighed but shook his head no.

Wendy's face softened and she smiled. "Well if something ever does happen I am here for you, okay?"

XXX

Gray was still in the strategy planning room. He was running the events with Natsu over in his mind.

_Did I say something wrong?_ He thought with slight worry.

The prince didn't think he did anything to offend his former slave. Gray's heart ached a bit at the thought of telling Natsu he didn't feel _that _way about him. He only told him the truth, right? Suddenly the door swung open, a fiquare walked into the room. Gray felt like his whole word was about to shatter around him.

"Hey Je-" The teen lifted his head up from a book he was reading and his eyes widened.

The prince couldn't believe his own eyes. Standing in front of him was someone who was dead.

"But you...you died..." Gray stuttered, mind still a blur.

The white-haired teen scoffed. "So, that's what _he _told you, huh?"

"Lyon..." Gray gaped.

"It's been a long time, little brother."

XXX

_Nine year old Gray had locked himself in his room, face pressed into his pillow. The boy was holding back all of his tears and anger. Fairy Tail had just held a burial for their beloved Queen. No one had questioned what the king had told them about how she passed. The raven remember his father saying something about a sickness that his mother had had for a long while and no one questioned him. Gray hadn't talked to anyone, not even his older brother Lyon, who persistently knocked on his door. _

_There was a knock at his door and once again, the prince ignored it._

_"Gray!" A voice boomed. _

_The raven quivered, realizing it was his personal knight's voice. She had been trying to get him to go to his lessons but he refused. _

_"Prince Gray please come out," Erza said a little softer. "I know this is hard...but you need to come out of your room sooner or later!"_

_'I choose later,' Gray thought stubbornly, burying his face deeper into the pillow. Tears pricked at the prince's eyes as he thought of the stories his mother had told him before he went to bed. _

_The door's lock let out a loud click and the door opened slowly._

_"It's time for you to get to your next practice." A voice hissed and Gray's body tensed. _

_He had forgotten that King Alastiar had the key to his room.__The prince decided to stay silent, hoping his father would leave him alone. _

_"Not listening, I see?" The king scoffed, stepping closer to his son's bed. "I am going to fix this attitude of yours, Gray."_

_Before the king could move any further, there was another obstacle __in his way. _

_"I think you have done enough, father."_

_A fifteen year old Prince Lyon was standing in front of his dad with a sword drawn. _

_"What do you think you are doing? You dare to threaten me?"Alastair spat. _

_Gray looked over at his brother and stared. _

_"Are you crazy? What are you doing, Lyon?" The boy cried out as Lyon continued to stand his ground. _

_Erza stood in the door way, sword also drawn. Her body looked tense and she had a worried expression on her face._

_"This is treason! Do you hear me, boy?" King Alastair growled, pointing a finger in Lyon's face. _

_"I saw what you did to mother!" Lyon hissed, raising his sword to meet the king's finger. _

_**"**__W-what are you talking about? I did nothing to Queen __Ur..."__The king glared, pulling back his hand and made it into a fist. _

_"You murdered her..." The teen muttered, tears sliding down his cheeks. "Why did you do that to her? Why did you do that to mom!"_

_The white-haired teen __gritted his teeth and let out a roar of rage. He charged at the stern king with his sword._

_Gray felt his heart ache as he watched the scene unfold. He jumped out of his bed and grabbed his brother's wrist before he would do something he would regret. Lyon looked at the raven with surprise and the prince could feel his brother's body relax. _

_"Listen Lyon!" Their father suddenly spit out as he was retreating out of the room. "I want to see you in the Throne room at seven!" _

_With that last threat, the door slammed shut. Lyon slumped down to the floor, tears spilling down his chin. Gray started to feel tears fall and the room fell silent. _

_XXX _

_At seven Lyon was forced to go to the throne room. He was met by a cold father and a dozen knights. Lyon showed no fear on the outside but he was pretty unnerved on the inside. He had no idea what punishments the king had in store for him. Sadly his sword had also been taken away from him so there was no way out of what was to come. _

_"So you decided to come after all." Alistair chuckled, resting his face in his hand. _

_"I didn't have much of a choice," Lyon muttered, looking back at Jellal and Erza. _

_Suddenly the king stood, a stormy look in his eyes__**.**__"I'm tired of your disobedience! Of your meddling, your...your silly sympathy for the scum." Alastair's lips curled in disgust at one unfortunate servant slave who tried to blend in with the wall. "I've tried long enough to make you see things my way, which I now realise was a waste of time! Even Gray would make a better king than you! Seize him!" _

_Before the knights had a chance to move, Jellal stood in front of the prince. _

_"You will have to go through me first." The knight threatened, pointing his sword at his bewildered comrades. _

_"Do what you wish," The king said in a bored tone. "I can easily replace you."_

_**"**__Have you lost your mind?" Freed hissed, inching closer to the pair. "There is no way you can fend off all of us!" _

_Erza hadn't moved from her spot. Her __body was stiff and a cold sweat had formed on her skin. The red-head glared at Jellal with worry__**.**__ The knights began to press forward, making Lyon and Jellal back up till they hit the wall. Lyon felt his heart stammer in his chest. He knew that there was no way out of the situation. Freed swung his sword and Jellal tried his best to block it. Meanwhile, a few other knights swarmed around the already busy knight. Lyon was watching them intently and dreaded the outcome of the fight, A scream pierced the sound of the clashing of metal. Jellal gripped his arm, blood seeped through his fingers. Freed drew back his sword with a smirk. _

_"Jellal!" Erza cried out but seemed to be frozen in place. _

_The blue haired knight gritted his teeth and continued to fight. _

_Lyon was memorized by the how persistent the knight was. Without noticing, Evergreen had made her way to the prince. Jellal was __too__ busy with the other knights that she was able to sneak over to the white-haired teen. She drew back her sword and jabbed it right into the unsuspecting prince's back. Lyon screeched f__rom the sudden pain in his back. It felt like fire was spreading all over his body._

_The world seemed to slow down as he sank down to his knees. Lyon felt like the world was against him. Everything that had happened didn't seem right and he hated it. He hated his father for killing his mother, hurting Gray, and putting him through all of it. Something cold seemed to flow through the prince's body, along with his rage for his father. Evergreen moved in front of the prince and drew her sword back once more but before she could strike the teen again, her body was covered in ice._

_The fighting in the room can to a halt and everyone looked at him and the knight._

_Lyon realized what had happened. Somehow he had frozen the knight solid._

_'How?' _

_He stared at his hands in astonishment. His gaze flicked to the empty queen's chair, then to his father who had a surprised look on his face. Suddenly he understood that his powers awakening wasn't a mere coincidence, it was karma. He was meant to finish what Ur started and avenge her death with his ice. He tried to stand, but sudden dizziness overwhelmed him and he blacked out._

XXX

Gray looked at his older brother with awe.

"Then how did you escape?" The raven asked curious for the ending.

Lyon shrugged. "Jellal must have escaped with me somehow. I woke up two days later in a shack with him."

The prince stood up and tackled his brother to the ground. "I've missed you so much!" He squeezed Lyon so hard he heard his brother sputter. Gray's smile was so huge he thought his face might split in two. _Lyon is back. Lyon is back. _The thought repeated over and over in Gray's mind. He felt tears prickle his eyes. _Lyon's not dead._

Lyon laughed and put an arm around Gray's shoulders. "Yeah, me too." He ruffled Gray's hair like he used to six years ago. "Me too."

XXX

It was exactly eight thirty and there was a group of people standing in the living room. Natsu was standing next to Gray and Lyon, who the pinkette had found out was the prince's older brother. He scanned over the group and felt hopeful.

_This will work out, _the pink haired leader thought. Jellal stood in front of everyone, explaining the plan.

"So one group will go on east side of the square and the rest will go on the west. The objective is to save Erza and Levy at all costs. Now I am sure that the king has guards around the square and the execution platform so I want you all to be careful."

"Natsu and Lyon will be our distraction. They can use magic so it will be easier for them to fight off many attackers at once. Once the guards have their attention on them, the groups will move in."

Natsu nodded slowly, not sure how to feel about being the distraction. Cana and Lucy helped hand out the hoods. They were all made from different patches of material that were stitched together but they would make it easy to blend in. Natsu slipped his on and put up his hood. The pinkette looked over to Gray and was met by his dark blue eyes. They were both in different groups and Natsu was a little nervous for his safety.

"Be careful out there okay?" Gray whispered and smiled a little.

Natsu only smirked as his fist blew up in flames.

"You don't have to worry about me."

The pinkette saw Gray blush a bit.

"I am not worrying..."

"Alright let's head out!" Jellal yelled.

The group erupted in cheers as they all marched out of the base.

XXX

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**How will their plan work out? XD Find out in next chapter! Please favorite and review! **

**fairygirl90: I think Laxus and Erza would be evenly matched, no? Maybe she defeated Laxus but other knights overwhelmed her? Guess you will find out :D**

**Gratsu-dragon: I am glad you love the story!**

**demonprincess13: xD I think everyone hates the King at this point and oh I have never read that story! I will check it out :)**

**Bellatrix Trickster: XD Dun Dun Dah! Maybe Lucy is on there side though? o;**

**gratsulover117: I think everyone agrees that the King needs a beating xD As for Gray I guess you will find out!**

**x0xalexis8: XD**

**Crystalangel554: haha you like throwing those tomatoes huh?**

**CstillaDream: Maybe they will...but maybe they wont..**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	8. Erza and Levy Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 8 :D I hope you guys like it! **

**Dedicated to Running Lynx**

**Thank you for all of the great inspiration and being the best editor!**

* * *

Gray was walking next to Lucy, looking at his feet. The wind outside stung Gray's face. A breeze ripped through the sand, sending it flying. The sky was all different shades of pink, orange, and yellow and the moon slowly raised in the sky.

The prince was scared. He didn't know how the whole plan would play out. He was also worried about Natsu...Gray mentally scolded himself for even being worried about the former slave. He had powers so he would be fine-

The raven suddenly slammed into the back of the person in front of him. The group came to a halt.

"Whats going on?" Gray whispered to Lucy, who gazed over to the front of the group.

"It looks like there is a whole bunch of guards inspecting people before they go to the square," the teen replied with a frown.

Gray hoped that Lyon and Natsu would start the distraction soon. A sudden gust of strong wind blew from in front. Everyone instantly grabbed their hoods. Gray's reaction was to late and his hood flew off. Right when that happened, a blue haired woman was making her way past the group so she could get to the public square. She instantly spotted the prince and let out a squeal.

"Prince Gray!" She called out, hearts in her eyes.

Gray froze in place, his hand against the fabric of the hood. He recognised the girl's voice. Her name was Juvia. The prince's blue eyes were widened and he hoped if he didn't answer her then she would leave, but the girl did just the opposite. The blunette pranced over to the raven.

"Why are you ignoring Juvia?" She whimpered as she got closer to the teen.

Freed and Evergreen ran up behind Juvia. Freed placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile.

"Is something wrong, Miss?"

The teen shook her head but smiled cheerfully. "Juvia just saw Prince Gray and thought Juvia would say hello."

Evergreen grinned with fake sweetness. "Oh really? Where did you see him?"

Gray gulped and looked up at Lucy, hoping she would know what to do. Juvia pointed at the group and the knights stalked over to them.

Lucy grabbed Gray by the shoulders and pulled him into a nearby alleyway. The rest of group wasn't as lucky. They all hid their faces and tried their best to act natural as the knights questioned them. Gray could hear the conversation between Freed and Jellal.

"Can you tell me you name, sir?" Freed asked in a suspicious tone.

Before Jellal could open his mouth to answer a loud explosion sounded ahead of them. Freed and Evergreen ran off, forgetting about the group and focusing on the new disturbance.

Jellal smirked and made a 'follow me' motion with his hand. The group ran off in the direction of the platform. The prince heard the knight's cries and Natsu's shouts. He gulped as he saw the execution platform. Few guards held the girls and pressed swords to their necks. The girl's arms and legs were bound together. Tears streamed down Levy's face while Erza's face looked angered.

The whole crowd had their eyes on Natsu and Lyon who were knocking out knights left and right. King Alistair sat on a throne next to the platform with a smug look on his face. Mirajane and Elfman stood at his side.

The group were making their way through the crowd to get to Erza and Levy. Before they made it half way through the sea of people, Jellal hopped up on the platform. Gray watched in excitement as the bluenette walked up to the guard who held the sword to Levy's neck.

_We are going to save them! _The prince cheered.

The former knight pushed the gaurds to the side and stepped behind Levy. Gray saw a grin creep on the man's face. Erza looked up at Jellal and her eyes widened. The blue haired man gripped the sword and with one quick motion-

The sounds of the battle raging came to an immediate stop. Everyone stared blankly at Jellal and Levy. Gray felt his throat close up and his whole body shook. He felt all numb and unable to move.

_W-why? Why did he have to..._

Levy's head fell off; dark red liquid flew everywhere. Her body collapsed like a ton of bricks in a pool of her own blood. Jellal had sinister look on his face.

"B-but...Why...All this time you-" Before Lyon could finish his sentence, Jellal pointed to the King.

Alistair was standing now, smiling at Levy's headless body.

"All along I was following the King's orders. He said I need to collect all the people who wanted to rebel against him. I would never disobey him," the bluenette said as if it was no big deal.

"You asshole!" Lyon yelled, his fists glowing blue.

The white-haired teen tried to run up to the traitor but the knights around him pushed him to the ground. Natsu tried to throw some of them off but the remaining knights surrounded him. Gray watched as his father gestured to Erza.

"Well, get the job done."

Jellal looked at the red-head and kept a straight face. He drew his sword and walked behind the woman. He placed the sword over her neck.

"No!" Gray cried out, ripping his way through the crowd.

"Seize him!" King Alastair said, a large grin on his face.

The citizens tried to grab him as he passed. He was only a few inches away from Erza when two large men gripped his shoulders.

"Erza!" Gray shouted, tears running down his cheeks.

The scarlet haired woman didn't say a word. She only smiled sadly at the prince. Jellal had a grim look on his face as he turned his head to the king. Alastair glared back.

"Do it," he muttered.

"Can't we at least spare her, My Highness?"

The crowd erupted in 'boos' and cries of disappointment.

"You _will_ do it," the king muttered once more.

Jellal stared down at Erza reluctantly. Gray hoped that the former knight would come to his senses. Elfman and Mirajane looked at the King, almost as if asking for permission. The king sighed and nodded. The two knights stepped up on the platform.

"You are either going to do it or we will." Mira sneered as she pulled out her sword.

Jellal glared in her direction but before he had a chance to move, Elfman tackled him to the ground. The former knight grunted as his head hit the floor. Mira stepped behind Erza with a wicked smile.

"No! Please! Stop!" Gray screeched as he struggled to escape from the men's grips.

Of course the white-haired knight didn't listen. In one move, Erza's head was clean off. Blood splattered everywhere and her body landed on top of Levy's. Gray felt warm liquid hit his face and run down his shirt.

The crowed cheered. The mission was a complete failure. Lucy waved at them to go but Gray didn't move an inch. Gray knew he should follow the escape plan. They would run into the poor part of the city and hide but he was too paralyzed to move. The rebels swarmed out of the area. Gray wasn't sure how he would escape from the two large men holding him and he really didn't care. He couldn't tear his eyes away from his friend's lifeless body.

"Gray!" A voice yelled.

The raven turned his head and saw Natsu pushing his way through the crowed. He scorched anyone who tried to stop him. The big guys sneered at the pinkette. Gray looked at Natsu without emotion. It was almost as if his face was frozen. He didn't want to speak or move. Natsu punched the men until they let go and grabbed Gray by the wrist. The pink haired teen ended up dragging Gray all the way to their assigned ally.

Gray felt Natsu let go of his arm. The prince leaned against the brick wall and sank to the ground. He stared at the other wall blankly. The raven didn't feel Natsu's nervous stare or hear him call his name. All he saw was the death of his friends. The prince touched his blood stained cheek and quivered.

XXX

Natsu looked at Gray with worry. The prince hadn't moved. He only sat there and kept a blank face. The pinkette heard the distant sound of footsteps.

_We have to get out of here, _Natsu thought.

He looked over at Gray and grabbed his wrist once again. The raven didn't say a word in protest and he ran down the other end of the ally. They were in the poor part of Fairy Tail. The Rebel base was to the left but a bunch of knights ran toward them from that side.

"Damn!" He cursed as he ran the other way.

The pink haired teen hoped that knights wouldn't follow them for long. He was on the border between the rich and the poor. He was not sure where to go. Suddenly, Natsu remembered Lucy had told him the address of where Gray had stayed. Gray was still behind him, almost lifeless.

Natsu gave a big smile as the house came into view. The pink haired teen heard the knights following them. He knew he had to ditch them somehow. The pink haired teen shoot a couple of fire balls and made a run for it. He saw a branching alleyway and pressed his back again the wall. Gray was right there with him of course. The knights ran past with pissed looks on their faces.

Once the coast was clear Natsu ran up to the door and twisted the knob frantically.

It was locked.

"Gray! Do you have the key?" Natsu whispered hurriedly.

The prince didn't answer.

"Gray?"

There was only the sound of the wind howling. Natsu cursed as he dug through Gray's jean pockets.

"Snap out of it!" The pinkette hissed as he pulled a key out of his back pocket.

He fumbled with the key but unlocked the door. The dragon leader pushed open the door and slammed it shut. He set Gray down on a nearby chair and locked the door back up.

Natsu pulled another chair next to the raven's and sat down with a huff. He panted, glad to have stopped running but his mind was focused on Gray.

"You need to clean up," Natsu said, getting up once more to get a rag.

The pinkette found one on the kitchen counter and walked back to the raven. He crouched down and slowly wiped off the blood. He felt like he was taking care of a child.

"Gray..." He whispered, putting the rag on the ground.

The dragon didn't know what to do. He had never been good at helping people. So Natsu did the first thing that popped into his mind.

The pinkette wrapped his arms around Gray and squeezed.

"It's going to be okay."

The raven pressed his face into Natsu's shoulder. The pinkette felt something wet seep through his vest.

"It's not fair," Gray muttered through sobs.

Natsu only rubbed the prince's back and tried to comfort him.

"I know."

A few minutes later, Gray looked up at the pink haired teen.

"T-thank you, Natsu." The raven sniffled.

The pinkette smiled and began to move away but the prince pulled him back into his chest.

XXX

Natsu opened his eyes slowly. He felt so warm and cozy snuggled up against-

The pinkette scrambled away from Gray's body. He blushed a bit and remembered that they had fallen asleep on the floor...together. He was about to get up and leave before the window near the door opened. The pinkette's eyes widened as a similar face hopped into the room.

"Hey Natsu," Zeref said as he walked closer to the dragon.

"What...what are you doing here?" Natsu asked, wanting to crawl out of his skin. His face was burning red at all the memories that came back.

"I just want to see my love."

Natsu snorted, crossing his arms,"I am not your boyfriend, Zeref."

"Aw don't say that! What about all those times I-"

"You know that could never happen!"

Zeref chuckled and pulled Natsu close to him. The pink haired teen scowled and blushed. Zeref leaned down so close that Natsu could feel his hot breath on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Gray muttered.

XXX

* * *

***Hand out tissues* haha was it sad? I wonder how Gray will cope and how is Zeref going to fit in all of this? I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and favorite!** **Go check out Running Lynx's story In The Desert. It is the same idea as this story but it is very unique and amazing!**

**Running Lynx: Thank you! :D**

**Dorothy Lee Bones: XD I am glad you like it! **

**demonprincess13: Maybe I will check it out sometime! **

**Bellatrix Trixster: Maybe she is and then maybe she isn't :D**

**x0xalexis8: *hands an extra tissue***

**gratsulover117: I may bring in Gajeel in the future!**

**AznAkatsuki: I am not sure if I will give Gray powers or not**

**As always thank you the reviews!**


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